Thursday, September 15, 2016

Moving From One Thing To Another

It's a tricky thing, moving from one thing to another. Taking steps, growing. Reaching. Trying. It feels good, to spread your wings or stretch your arms - to go for something you figured could be unattainable. And then the incredible feeling of accomplishment you get when you reach it. It feels good.

It feels good. And it doesn't.

Moving from one thing to another means leaving people behind. Not forgetting about them, just perhaps not seeing them as often. We build families around us as we journey through life, moving from one thing to another. And we don't, or most typically can't, always take those families with us. So they stay as we move from one thing to another. And it can be hurtful. And sad. And confusing for some. And knowing you are the cause of that hurt . . . doesn't feel good.

Despite people's best intentions of wanting to be happy for you and wishing you the best in life, there is still hurt. You can see it, feel it. It's like a hug from a stranger.

Many times in my life, I've moved from one thing to another: new job, different apartment, changed cities, acquired boyfriends. Each time, the future looked brighter for some reason. Each time I was taking steps, growing, reaching, and trying to spread my wings - even if just a little bit. Edging closer and closer the person I eventually want to be. And people have been happy for me as I moved from one thing to another. Some people. Some people were not happy. And I knew that I was the cause of that not happy. And it didn't feel good.

So the question is, how do we juggle and then balance the good we feel along with the not good? And how do we reassure the people who are not happy that moving from one thing to another is the right thing to do? And how do we vanquish the not happy from our lives so that we can focus on just the happy... and the good?

The human experience is fraught with dichotomy. Moving from one thing to another is a predominantly selfish act of balancing the good with the not good, the happy with the not happy, all in hopes that the attained goal rewards us with just good and happy. The realist that I am knows that it doesn't always work out that way because some of the not good and not happy remains, and for some reason never goes away.

But the optimist in me (yes, there is one) knows that I need to keep taking these steps, growing, reaching, trying, because ultimately it's only MY journey. And despite trying to reassure those people - the family that I can't take with me - that nothing will change, it will. Moving from one thing to another is sad and scary and exciting for everyone, whether or not they, too, are moving from one thing to another, or not.

I am about to advance in my journey. I stepped, grew, reached, and tried for something I thought could be unattainable. And I accomplished it. And the feeling is incredible. I have no way of knowing if this is the right thing to do, but, again, it's all part of MY journey. And, unfortunately, not all of the family I created where I am will be able to come along with me. And that makes it not feel good.

But some of the family I created will be coming along to cheer, support, and root for me. And that feels good. It feels good. And that's the part I am going to focus on as I move from one thing to another.